Drop foot support



United States Patent Jack R. Baker Lincoln, Rhode Island 648,784

June 26, 1967 Sept. 8, 1970 Jariba Corporation a corporation of Delawareinventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee DROP FOOT SUPPORT 6 Claims, 3Drawing Figs.

US. Cl...

Int. Cl Field of Search ..l28/80(1&L), 25.2, 149

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,871,851 2/1959 Swanson128/30 2,959,169 11/1960 Bless 128/80 OTHER REFERENCES Down Bros.Orthopedic Cataloge, page G1 19 Fig. G933.

Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. YaskoAttorney-Barlow and Barlow ABSTRACT: A drop foot support having aflexible portion embracing the ankle and lower leg with a relativelystiff plate attached to this flexible member to engage the bottom of thefoot and a strap connecting the toe end of the plate to the flexiblemember adjacent its upper end to support the foot in a relationsubstantially at right angles to the leg portion.

Patented Sept. 8, 1970 3,527,209

INVENTOR.

5 JACK R. BAKER BY ATTORNEYS DROP FOOT SUPPORT BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Many types of foot supports utilize braces extending eitherthe full length of the leg or up to just below the knee which are veryrestrictive of movement, heavy, cumbersome and embarrassinglyconspicuous and uncomfortable to wear. Other types of drop foot supportsattempt to utilize a shoe for embracing the foot and some leg encirclingmember with an attachment between the shoe and the leg encirclingmember. These also have their disadvantages especially when lyinghorizontally or in bed where the shoe is not desired.

SUMMARY This drop foot support comprises a relatively stiff platemember, which may be fiberboard, for example, to engage the bottom ofthe foot. Intermediate the ends of this fiberboard plate, there isattached thereto a woven textile ankle and lower leg embracing portionwhich extends without seam about the back of the leg and foot with theedges spaced in front while bands may close the space between the frontedges and be secured so as to wrap or bind the ankle and lower legsecurely enabling a strap to extend from the upper part of this legembracing portion to the toe portion of the plate for supporting thefoot against dropping to a greater angle than is normal which issubstantially at right angles to the leg. The plate also has lateralextensions at the portion extending beyond the heel which enables thefoot to be raised above a horizontal support when the leg is in ahorizontal position and also prevents rocking.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS I FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dropfoot support with the foot omitted and showing the device in suchposition as it would assume when the wearer is standing;

FIG. 2 illustrates the device in open position ready to receive the footofthe user; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the foot in phantom inposition with the leg horizontal as in bed and showing the device in theposition it would assume when the wearer is in a reclining position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With reference to the drawings designates generallya relatively rigid plate member which may be of fiberboard with arelatively enlarged portion 11 at the toe end and a relatively narrowintermediate portion 12 and a heel portion 13. It is formed of a layerof fiberboard 14 and a cushion liner 15 on the upper surface of thisfiberboard. This cushion liner is the part that engages the bottom ofthefoot and is of an extent so as to engage the heel portion of the foot aswell as the toe and ball portion. The fiberboard has lateral extensionsbeyond the heel as at 16 which is reinforced with a second layer offiberboard 17 also extending laterally and leaving a slightly depressedportion for the heel 13 which is covered with the cushion lining 15. Arelatively stiffflange 18 extends about the toe portion of the plate andalso may have a lining 15 of the same material as the lining ofthefiberboard 14.

The member 20 is of relatively flexible material such as woven fabricand is bifurcated at its lower end providing por tions 21 and 22 whichextend beneath the plate 10 and may be secured thereto by rivets. Theintermediate or central portion 23 (FIG. 2) of this member extends froma point slightly spaced above the lining ofthe plate member upwardly soas to engage the back of the heel and back of the lower part of the legof the wearer, while side portions 24 and 25 wrap about either side ofthe leg and ankle with their edges 26 and 27 spaced in the forward partof the leg and ankle. These spaced edges are then secured together such,for instance, as by an upper or first band 30 which may be formedintegral with the portion 25 and extend beyond the edge 27 of the memberand is of a length so that it may overlap the portion 24 and be securedsnugly about the leg of the user. Securing may be by a material known asVelcro consisting of a pad 31 providing a plurality of mono-filamenthooks and a fabric pad 32 which the hooks may engage. The location ofthese pads are shown by the dotted lines indicating the stitching ofthese pads in position. A second band 35 may extend across the spacededges 26 and 27 and be similarly attached at both sides by the Velcromaterial 36 and 37 on one side and 38 and 39 on the other side, thusmaking this band completely detachable. It is also contemplated that thefirst band 30 may be completely detachable in the same way.

A loop 40 having its ends 41 and 42 secured to the band 30 provides alocation through which a strap 45 may extend. This strap is formed witha bridle having portions 46 and 47 at one end attached at either side ofthe toe portion of the plate member and extending up over the flange 18,while its other end portion is provided with an adjustable loop 48 heldin adjusted position by a clamp 49 and is threaded through an eye 50 ofa garter type fastener 51 to engage a button 52 on the end portion of anelastic member 53 which is attached to the center portion of the toeportion of the plate member and extends up over the flange 18.

For use, the device as shown in FIG. 2 is in a position to receive thefoot of the wearer and he may place his foot with the bottom of the footon the plate 10 and then wrap the member 20 and the bands 30 and 35snugly about the lower part of the leg and ankle securing them with theVelcro material on the unattached side. He may then utilize a strap 45by threading it through the loop 40 and attaching it to an elasticmember 53 adjusting it for comfort as to length. Thus the foot is in asimple manner secured in a normal position a right angular relation tothe leg. If it is desired for the wearer to take a reclined position,such as in bed, the device also functions to prevent the foot fromgetting out of the right-am gular relationship and cramping any of thenerves or bloodstreams holding it as shown in FIG. 3 and also lifts itfrom the horizontal which assists in preventing dermatitis. The lateralprojections on either side of the plate at the heel portion preventrocking of the foot and thus hold it in a comfortable position.

I claim:

1. A drop foot support comprising a relatively rigid plate member havingheel and toe portions to engage the bottom of a foot, a flexible memberattached to the plate member to extend about the back of a leg and anklewith marginal edges spaced to provide an opening in the front, a firstband at the upper portion of the flexible member to extend across theopen front and detachable from at least one of said marginal edges, asecond band spaced from the first band to extend across the open frontand detachable from at least one of said marginal edges and a flexiblestrap extending between the toe portion of the plate member and thefirst band to hold the foot and leg at generally right angles, said heelportion of the plate extending a substantial distance beyond the portionof the flexible member, said plate having lateral extensions to supportthe foot above a horizontal and to prevent rocking when the leg isgenerally horizontal.

2. A drop foot support as in claim 1 wherein one of said bands isdetachably secured on both sides of the margins of the flexible member.

3. A drop foot support as in claim 1 wherein said first band is providedwith a loop and said strap slidably extends through said loop and isattached to said toe portion of said plate.

4. A drop foot support as in claim 1 wherein said first band is providedwith a loop and said strap slidably extends through said loop with oneend bifurcated and attached to either side of the toe portion and theother end attached intermediate said bifurcated attachments.

5. A drop foot support as in claim 1 wherein said first band is providedwith a loop and said strap slidably extends through said loop with oneend bifurcated and attached to either side of the toe portion and theother end attached intermediate said bifurcated attachments to aresiliently stretchable tab secured to a mid portion of said toe portionof the plate member.

6. A drop foot support as in claim 1 wherein said toe portion

